Climate biggest Pacific threat

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has released the Pacific Security Outlook Report 2022 -2023, highlighting key regional security issues and trends.

As Leaders reaffirmed when they launched the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and as this report highlights, climate change remains the region’s single greatest security threat.

Gender based violence and natural disasters were other key priority focus areas, together with illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU), cybercrime and transnational organised crime.

Regional security mechanisms that helped address issues was important, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Henry Puna.

“To achieve the Forum’s vision of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, it is important to have regional security mechanisms that help address traditional and non-traditional issues in the Pacific region,” he said.

“We must not allow new issues to distract us from action to address the most pressing threats to the peace and security of Pacific peoples.”

The report also said the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the Pacific’s health system vulnerabilities, which were long standing, and difficult to overcome, and highlighted the importance of a continued efforts to strengthen border and health security.

Full Report https://www.forumsec. org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ Pacific-Security-OutlookReport-2022-2023.pdf

Be aware of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease

The Torres Strait, Cape York and Northern Peninsula Areas have already had their first cases of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in 2023.

Torres & Cape Hospital and Health Service Public Health Medical Officer Dr AllisonHempenstall said a state-wide action plan was in place to tackle acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease throughout Queensland.